<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>rate yourself and rake yourself by mewtwos</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28613460">rate yourself and rake yourself</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/mewtwos/pseuds/mewtwos'>mewtwos</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Development, Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Team Dynamics, Team Rainbow Rocket</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:48:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,267</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28613460</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/mewtwos/pseuds/mewtwos</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i> Cyrus narrowed his eyes. “Who are you?”</i>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <i>“Name’s Giovanni,” he replied curtly. “And I’m here to speak with you.”</i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <i>Giovanni? The name certainly rang a bell. A distant bell in the back of his mind, but a bell, nonetheless. Giovanni wasn’t a common name — but the more he looked at the man, the more the feelings of familiarity crept up. Confidence, high-class, a look of determination, and — </i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <i>“Team Rocket,” Cyrus stated. “The leader of Team Rocket.”</i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>  <i>“Ooh,” Giovanni smiled. “You’re good.” </i></p>
<p> </p>
<p>—— </p>
<p>(in which cyrus joins team rainbow rocket — and discovers there’s more to human spirit than he originally thought)</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akagi | Cyrus/Sakaki | Giovanni, Aogiri | Archie/Matsubusa | Maxie</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>rate yourself and rake yourself</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hello!</p>
<p>this is a slow-burn fic that I recently started working on. i really wanted to write something about cyrus and his potential for character development. </p>
<p>i know that team rainbow rocket is comprised of the leaders from parallel universes in which they succeeded, but in this fic, they’re all from the same universe, and giovanni only used the wormhole to get to cyrus.</p>
<p>pls enjoy! updates sporadically. &lt;3</p>
<p>title is based on the lyrics from “little lion man” by mumford &amp; sons</p>
<p>also, hardenshipping is tagged because it will be an eventual relationship as well (you’ll see in the next chapter ;))</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Distortion World. A vast sea of empty, complete with lack of time flow and no sense of space. There were sections of land that seemed to be a part of nothing, floating due to the odd gravity, and they extended as far as the eye could see.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus was unsure how long he was there. His internal clock stopped working a while back. He counted maybe several hours before he began to second guess himself — a feat which he was not used to. Perhaps he should have bitten his tongue and gotten himself one of those new Poketchs. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus quickly shook that thought out of his head. He was better than those useless devices. Mars had one for a while — it was needlessly fragile. She must have broken it at least four times on the job, Cyrus recounted, and watches are not supposed to break that easily. He could have created a device much more worthwhile and not as breakable, perhaps with better features and more useful applications. Maybe even a teleportation aspect — he </span>
  <em>
    <span>did </span>
  </em>
  <span>manage to create warp panels in his own headquarters.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus stared at the empty in front of him. There was nothing to see. No changes within the last few moments. There never will be, aside from maybe Giratina appearing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He sighed before sitting down, his legs dangling over the edge of a floating landmass. Giratina came and went—sometimes staying for prolonged periods of time (at least to Cyrus, as no time flowed in this unusual place). Other times, Cyrus would not see it for what felt like weeks. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He lost his rage toward the shadow pokemon almost immediately after the petulant child and the irritable woman who called herself the champion left the Distortion World. He realized that even though Giratina may have interfered with his plans, he still got what he wanted — a world that was his. No human spirit, no more useless, petty emotions. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Perhaps, in a way, Giratina might have known of his plans, and seemed eager to please him as well as keep the original world safe. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmph,” Cyrus said out loud. He didn’t like to think about the fact that the treacherous, spirt-filled world was still out there. It reminded him of his own failure in completing that part of his goal. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A loud screech was heard in the distance. Cyrus glanced over into the direction of the sound and spotted the shadow pokemon itself flying towards him. It stopped in front of him, staring down at him with its red eyes. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus challenged it back, keeping his eyes locked on its own. He had no fear of this pokemon. If it had wanted to hurt him, it would have done so by now. “What do you want?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Giratina tilted its head. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus sighed. There was no point in a one way conversation. “Leave me alone,” was all he replied with. He finished it with a hand gesture that would probably be considered as rude, but Giratina didn’t seem to mind — and immediately flew away. Cyrus watched it go, becoming smaller and smaller, until it was no longer visible.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The Distortion world was never-ending, so it seemed. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He fell back, glancing upwards at the land masses that floated above him. They all had one feature in common — the bottom of the masses all converged into a sharp point, like a land icicle. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Turn gravity back on, and Cyrus thought about how he would instantly be impaled (if not crushed by the weight of the land). </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>But — Cyrus quickly provided a counter argument to himself — the land mass he was on would be falling at the same rate. The two lands would never meet unless there was a bottom in this world. And from what he could see — there was none. It was a never-ending pit of empty. A world of antimatter. A world with nothing but— </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A splicing sound startled Cyrus and he shot up onto his elbows, turning to face the sound. To his surprise, there seemed to be a cut into the atmosphere, opening wider,</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus quickly stood up. The cut started to move in a circular motion, looking to form — </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus’s eyes widened. It was forming a portal. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>A portal?</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus’s hand moved to his pocket, where the pokeball for his Weavile rested. Did Team Galactic manage to find him? Or did the International Police somehow locate his whereabouts? </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A man stepped out of the portal. He wore a black suit and his hair was neatly gelled back. He had the appearance of a well-put together businessman — but the expression of his face was anything but.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit,” he cursed, shaking his head. “I hate that damn thing.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Excuse me,” Cyrus spoke.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The man looked at him, and the frazzled expression dwindled immediately. “Ah, so it's true. You are alive.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus blinked. “What?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The suited man walked towards him, wearing an odd smirk on his face. “You’re Cyrus of Team Galactic, correct?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus eyed him suspiciously. This man had to be a member of the International Police. “You’re mistaken. You have no business here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The stranger barked a laugh. “Oh, but I do, and there’s no question that you’re him.” He crossed his arms. “Blue hair, dead gaze.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Then why ask?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Courtesy, mainly.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus narrowed his eyes. “Who are you?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Name’s Giovanni,” he replied curtly. “And I’m here to speak with you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Giovanni?</span>
  </em>
  <span> The name certainly rang a bell. A distant bell in the back of his mind, but a bell, nonetheless. Giovanni wasn’t a common name — but the more he looked at the man, the more the feelings of familiarity crept up. Confidence, high-class, a look of determination, and — </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Team Rocket,” Cyrus stated. “The leader of Team Rocket.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ooh,” Giovanni smiled. “You’re good.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I read about you,” Cyrus put his hands behind his back, tilting his head. “Created an organization to capture powerful pokemon to take over the world and claim it as your own. Defeated by a mere child who later became the champion.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Giovanni’s smile tilted, but didn’t fade. “Harsh, but not a lie.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus held a hand up. “But, it would be hypocritical of me to say that it did not happen to me as well.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Giovanni’s expression shifted as he looked around. “Your goal was to create a world without...well...anything, right? This certainly does not look like much.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s true, I strived to create a perfect world without spirit and got what I achieved — but the plan was a failure,” Cyrus explained. “My goal was to destroy the current world and </span>
  <em>
    <span>replace it with</span>
  </em>
  <span> a new one, but my plans were thwarted by a child, a champion, and—“ Cyrus gestured vaguely towards the empty. “The pest known as Giratina.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Giratina?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The pokemon that only appears in the shadows.” Cyrus turned his back to Giovanni. “The final part of the triad with Dialga and Palkia. It did not appreciate me attempting to erase the world and took me here. A world composed of antimatter. I ended up accepting my fate and remained in this world — for it isn’t composed of the material our world is — there’s no spirit.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmph,” Giovanni tapped his fingers on his suit, his arms back into a crossing position. “An incredible feat, no less.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus didn’t shift, his eyes still staring into the empty. “I’d like to know how you found me and why you have come.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Giovanni smirked. “You’ve been gone for so long, you’d be amazed at the technologies we’ve got. I came here through an Ultra Wormhole. Specifically to find you.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“And why is that?” Cyrus turned his head slightly.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m putting together a team,” Giovanni replied. “A team composed of powerful leaders of the various villainous groups across the Pokemon World. All of our groups have failed in one way or another — but perhaps if we blended our intelligence and worked together, we could legitimately succeed in our plans.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus turned fully around, facing Giovanni. His blank stare gave away no emotion, and his hands were a staple to his back. “You want me to be a part of this team?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“We could use someone like you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus paused for a moment, wondering how someone he had never met could know what he was like. “You never explained how you found me.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve been missing for quite some time,” Giovanni smiled. “It’s widely accepted that you are dead. But I dug a bit, hacked some files, and discovered that you actually were last seen at Mt. Coronet, standing before a portal. And — according to your former commanders — you entered it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus narrowed his eyes. “I was dragged into it.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Regardless,” Giovanni continued, “I knew you were alive somewhere. The Ultra Wormholes had been a recent discovery that I myself was fascinated with. I figured I could use it to my advantage and travel to an alternate dimension to find you: the man who controlled multiple legendary pokemon simultaneously to achieve his goal.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The blue-haired man was silent for a brief moment before turning back around. “You wasted your time. I have no interest in your team.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Hmph,” Giovanni’s smirk faded. “And why is that?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Simply put,” Cyrus gestured to the world around him. “I like it here. For me to go back to a world in which I loathe would be foolish.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You can’t possibly be serious.” Giovanni walked towards him. “You </span>
  <em>
    <span>like</span>
  </em>
  <span> it here? There’s absolutely nothing thrilling about this place.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Exactly my point,” Cyrus stated. “A world without spirit. I got what I wanted. I may have failed in completing the plan to its fullest extent, but I achieved the portion that I deem more important. Why would I leave that all behind for a team filled with those that have failed?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Giovanni narrowed his eyes. “We would be unstoppable. The world’s greatest and evil minds combined into one.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m no longer a part of that world. Therefore, I would not be included in that equation.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t wish for a little bit more?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus turned to look at him.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“From what I read,” Giovanni threaded his words carefully. “You were a science man. You created things from scratch, inventions that successfully capture legendary pokemon. You don’t have any of that here. No material, no machinery, nothing. Surely you miss that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“To miss something, it must be sentimental.” Cyrus stated dryly. “To be sentimental, one must be emotional. I dread that.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You must be fun at parties,” Giovanni muttered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus glared at him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Anyway, it would be beneficial for you to join me,” Giovanni cleared his throat. “You’d have unlimited access to various technologies. A room with an intricate locking system to ensure your privacy. A free pass to be a smart asshole.” He quickly looked up and down Cyrus’s body. “And maybe some fresh air would do you good too.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“What kind of technologies?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve been gone for a long time, pal. Think interdimensional space travel.” Giovanni glanced back at the portal. “You may not even need a pokemon to achieve your goal of creating a universe without...emotion...or whatever. Perhaps you can find a parallel universe using these wormholes — one that caters to your needs.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus’s eyes widened briefly before returning to his signature blank stare.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Look,” Giovanni’s tone was a lot less playful. “I know how to work this thing.” He gestured to the portal behind him. “So let me run by you a deal. You come with me. See what I have to offer. Three days, tops. Don’t like it? I’ll bring you back here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus pondered on that. While it’s true he had no desire to leave and go back into the incomplete world, perhaps he has gotten a little bored of staring into the abyss, wishing that the gremlin of a child never interfered with his plans. And the thought of new technology being discovered sparked something in the back of his mind, much to his chagrin. And he wasn’t sure if it was the way Giovanni stood with confidence and determination or his mind crumbling into insanity by being in this world for so long, but the thought of taking over the world and working with likeminded people was pleasing — and perhaps Cyrus could achieve his full plan the next time around.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ll bring me back here.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“In this exact spot.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“When I want to?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Give me three days.” Giovanni replied. “You find out that you don’t want any part of my team? I’ll send you back and destroy your coordinates. You’ll never hear from me again. No one will ever even know you existed. Back to being dead as a doorknob.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus stared at Giovanni, his gaze unrelenting. Much to his surprise, Giovanni challenged his eyes, his dark ones almost piercing. “I take it negotiations are your specialty.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Giovanni smirked. “It’s the business.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A shrill cry was heard and both men turned their heads to see a small but approaching Giratina.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“The hell is that?” Giovanni asked.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That would be Giratina,” Cyrus answered.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The pokemon cried out again with a piercing scream.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“It doesn’t sound happy.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I believe it has sensed an intrusion. That would be you.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A brief look of panic flashed across Giovanni’s face before he turned back towards the portal. He took one step in before turning back. “One last chance, Cyrus.” He held out his hand.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus glanced at the approaching pokemon. It’s cry was deafening and it looked angry. He had never seen it so angry before. It’s eyes were scarlet red and threatening. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus turned back to Giovanni. “Three days?”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Three days.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cyrus grabbed his hand and he was pulled through.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>kudos, comments, bookmarks, they are all appreciated &lt;3</p>
<p>check out my <a href="%E2%80%9C"> tumblr. </a></p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>